8th Anti-Tank Battery

The 8th Anti-Tank Battery , RBCA is a unit of the BC Army, and is one of the two dedicated anti-tank batteries of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery. Although formally the single-battery unit is designated an active force formation, only A Troop is actually active force; B Troop is manned by members of the Militia.

Some ranks in Royal BC Artillery units are different from those in other Army units. Specifically, in in all units of the Royal Regiment of British Columbia Artillery a Private is called a Gunner (Gnr), a Lance Corporal is called a Lance Bombardier (L Bdr) and a Corporal is called a Bombardier (Bdr).

History
The 8th Anti-Tank Battery was formed in 1942 as a dedicated anti-tank unit of the Royal BC Artillery, and after a period of training in BC, Canada and the United Kingdom was finally deployed to North Africa, and from there moving on to Italy. The unit was initially equipped with the British-made Deacon Mk. I, which was a QF 6-pounder anti-tank gun mounted on an AEC Matador truck chassis, but this was used only until 1943, as it was deemed unsuitable for operations in Europe. Thus the battery was re-equipped with the Archer Mk. I, a QF 17-pounder anti-tank gun mounted on the chassis of the Valentine tank, prior to being deployed to Italy.

After the war it returned to BC, and in 1951 it was mobilised for service in the Korean War, after which it once again returned to BC.

Battle Honours

 * Second World War: (multiple)
 * Korea 1951-53

Equipment

 * Deacon Mk. I (1942-1944) - QF 6-pounder 57 mm anti-tank gun on AEC Matador truck chassis
 * Archer Mk. I (1943-1975) - QF 17-pounder 76.2 mm anti-tank gun on Valentine tank chassis
 * Gaansateh-AT (1968-1982) - Fairey BC Swingfire ATGM on Gaansateh APC
 * VBR-AT Mk. I (1981-1995) - Fairey BC Swingfire ATGM on Panhard VBR
 * VBR-AT Mk. II (1995 to date) - Eryx ATGM on Panhard VBR

Regimental Alliances

 * Australia Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery
 * Canada Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery
 * India Regiment of Artillery
 * New Zealand Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery
 * Rhodesia Royal Regiment of Rhodesian Artillery
 * South Africa South African Artillery Corps
 * United Kingdom Royal Regiment of Artillery